W on the beat with the women of West Yorkshire Police

01 November 2018

UKTV has secured unprecedented access to West Yorkshire Police for an observational documentary that follows the exceptional work of women at every level of the Force.

Frontline policing has never been tougher and UKTV Original The Shift: Women on the Force (6x60') will explore the demands facing officers in Britain today, the dangers they face on a daily basis and the impact this has on their private lives. The proportion of female police officers in England and Wales has increased from 7% in 1977 to 29% in 2017 but men still dominate senior positions by over 80%.

From the Chief Constable to officers on the frontline, each episode is based around the unfolding stories of three women on the Force across a single, gripping shift. The Shift: Women on the Force offers a rare glimpse into the extraordinary demands this job can place on their lives - on duty and at home.

Dee Collins, Chief Constable WYP said:

From a service that has in the past been portrayed as male-dominated and masculine, we've seen a sea change and today some the UK's most high-profile senior police officers are women. But clearly we need to be enabling more women to fulfil their careers in policing. Inclusion is really important to West Yorkshire Police and a vital ingredient for the future policing of our communities and I am really keen to build a more diverse workforce.

Co-produced by Lambent Productions, Flint Television and Harbar 8, The Shift: Women on the Force has been commissioned by senior commissioning editor Helen Nightingale, who will executive produce for UKTV, and ordered for W by Richard Watsham, director of commissioning and Steve North, UKTV's genre general manager. Executive producers include Ollie Tait for Lambent Productions, Chris Kelly for Flint TV and Dan Clark-Neal for Harbar 8.

Helen Nightingale said:

There have been some incredible documentary series on television about the vital work done by police forces across the country. However, there's never been a series that specifically examines the challenges of being an officer in Britain today, from the point of view of the women on the force. This series is a new and fascinating look at modern policing and we are delighted to be working with West Yorkshire Police on this project.

Adam Collings, W channel director added:

The access secured to the West Yorkshire Police force is incredible and by focusing on women we are able to add a different dimension to traditional storytelling. The stories of the everyday heroes behind Britain's emergency services are endlessly fascinating and never more so than for W's audience, who've already taken the tales from Inside the Ambulance to their hearts.

Ollie Tait, Exec producer for Lambent Productions said:

Following on from the extraordinary drama of 'Happy Valley', this is the reality - a factual series which captures the real women, the real challenges and the real lives behind the action. It's a fantastic commission. We're delighted to be working hand in hand with Flint TV and Harbar 8 and to be given such remarkable access to the team at West Yorkshire Police.

W has enjoyed incredible success with UKTV Original factual series including Inside the Ambulance, 999 Rescue Squad and Inside the Vets. 999 Rescue Squad (2x10x60'), produced by Air Television, will also return for two new series in 2019 alongside brand-new series Inside the Operating Theatre.

Notes to Editors:

* There are currently 35,844 female police officers in the 43 police forces, making up 29% of police officers in England and Wales. Click HERE for government report.

** Exact numbers for WYP below. Click HERE for a report outlining the police workforce diversity in West Yorkshire Police.

W is UKTV's premium entertainment channel, offering audiences a dazzling mix of UKTV original series; Emma Willis: Delivering Babies, Dr Christian Will See You Now, John Bishop: In Conversation With..., The Davina Hour, The Secrets In My Family, Inside the Ambulance alongside handpicked gems from the BBC and Channel 4 including series from Louis Theroux, David Beckham and Stacey Dooley.

UKTV is a commercial broadcaster reaching over 40m viewers every month.
The award-winning independent has eleven imaginative brands - UKTV Play, Dave, W, Gold, Alibi, Yesterday, Drama, Really, Home, Eden and Good Food. These include the two most popular non-PSB channels in the UK and account for nearly 10% of the British commercial TV market.

The network delivers inspired channels to audiences through Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView, Freesat, Amazon Fire and UKTV Play, and distributes its highly valued original programmes to 200 territories. Now celebrating over 20 years at the forefront of digital television, UKTV - an independent commercial joint venture between BBC Studios and Discovery, Inc. - is proud to be the first British television broadcaster in The Sunday Times top 100 companies list.

For 20 years, Lambent has maintained a reputation as one of the most distinctive regional production companies in UK television. MD Ollie Tait came from ITV Studios with a background in a highly popular factual series, from Cops with Cameras to the BAFTA-nominated The Great War. Recent projects for Lambent include Emmerdale 1918, Family Rehab: 6 Months to Keep My Kids, and the BAFTA-nominated Raped: My Story.

About Flint

Flint TV is a regional production company recently launched by award-winning producer, Chris Kelly. From landmark films to returning series, Chris is a respected executive producer whose credits include the Emmy-winning drama-documentary series Days That Shook The World, the critically acclaimed Through A Child's Eyes and the pioneering BAFTA-nominated reality series Castaway.
About Harbar 8

Dan Clark-Neal is a former Metropolitan Police Detective. Having spent over a decade on the force he has since developed and reported on a number of short news films for the BBC and ITV. Dan subsequently set up Harbar 8 to develop series ideas across a range of genres alongside established indies and recently produced pilots for ITV and Channel 4. He is currently in production on an entertainment series h for the BBC.